Khilafat in Islam (Part I)

The term “Islamic Caliphate” is often heard and read in the media including My T – almost always with negative connotations. One has resisted up to now to respond to this with the Islamic perspective in accordance with its doctrine. However, it is time now to put the record straight. It is a long subject and will require lengthy discourse, hence the first instalment.

The commonly used English words ‘Caliph’ and ‘Caliphate’ are both taken and transformed from the Arabic terms ‘khalifa’ and ‘khilafat’. The term ‘caliph’ is in English use since 1393, and ‘caliphate’ since 1614. The English language has an ability to borrow and absorb foreign words and phrases in abundance. The English speaking world uses words taken from almost every other language in the world. For example, from languages of the Indian sub-continent such as Urdu, Hindi and Sanskrit, English has obtained ‘camphor’, ‘ginger’, ‘musk’, ‘sugar’, ‘punch’, ‘guru’, ‘nirvana’, ‘bungalow’, ‘jungle’, ‘cheetah’, ‘thug’, ‘pundit’ and ‘Aryan’. From Farsi are ‘bazaar’, ‘caravan’, ‘dervish’, ‘jasmine’, ‘magazine’, ‘rook’ and ‘checkmate’. From Hebrew are the words ‘Amen’, ‘jubilee’, ‘kosher’, ‘Satan’ and ‘messiah’. Similarly, numerous names, phrases and terms are taken from Arabic language. To mention only a few: Admiral (Amir-ul-bahr, or amir-ar-rahl), Gibraltar (Jebel-e-Tarik), alchemy (al-kimiya), alcohol (al-kohl), algebra (al-gebro-wal-muqabilah), algorithm (al-Khowarazmi), arsenal (dar-as-sina’ah), assassin (hashishin), coffee (qawah), El Cid (al-Sayyid), elixir (al-iksir), emir (Amir), fakir (faqir), genie (jinn), minaret (minarah), Ottoman (Uthman), Saracen (sharqiyien), sherbet & syrup (sharbah, sharaab), sofa (suffah ), talisman ( talism), and zero (sifr).

For discussion here, a distinction between “khilafat” and “caliphate” for reasons other than mere etymological development of the words will be made. In Arabic “khalifa” means “successor/deputy/vicegerent”, and “khilafat” is the dominion of a khalifa, or the institution that runs under the leadership of a khalifa. In English, “caliph” is the chief civil and political Muslim ruler regarded as a successor of the Prophet of Islam. However, in the Qur’an, the words khalifa (in singular) and khulafa or khalaa’if (in plural) have wider connotations than “caliph” and “caliphs” in English. For example, the Qur’an uses the title of “khalifa on the earth” for Prophet Adam as “God’s deputy or vicegerent on the earth” (2:31). In Arabic we can call him Khalifatullah, but we cannot call him as ‘God’s Caliph.’ Similarly, David is called a “khalifa”, a vicegerent of God in the Qur’an: ‘O David! We have made you a khalifa (vicegerent) in the earth; so judge between men with justice and follow not vain desires, lest it should lead you astray from the way of Allah.’ (38:27). However, we never say “Caliph David” in the English language; he is called “King David”. Moreover, in the Qur’an the words khalaa’if and khulafa (plural of khalifa) have been used for some nations or specific generations in the sense that God did a great favour to them and made them triumphant on earth: “And remember the time when He made you as khulafa after the people of Noah, and increased you abundantly is constitution.” (7:75). However, in English we do not refer to any nation or generation as “Caliphs.” The Qur’an specifically uses the term khulafa indicating a special favour of Allah to the people not only by granting them worldly power, but more specifically as a spiritual reward for their devotion. In this sense, to retain the blessing of khilafat, spiritual vigilance is required as it is a test and a trial for devout people. “And He it is Who has made you khalaa’if (successors to win favours of God) on the earth, and then exalted some of you over the others in degrees of rank, so that He may try you by that which He has given you” (6:166).